Agent Elric
by jeon snow
Summary: Instead of giving up his alchemy, the Truth sends Ed to a different world, fast-forwarded many years into the future. Alone and determined to find his way back, Ed's interesting endeavours catch the attention of a certain organization called SHIELD.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or the Marvel CMU. Sadly.**

Golden eyes snapped open as desperately as it was quiet. They narrowed as they observed what was surrounding them, and the owner of the eyes' nose wrinkled as the stench of rotten food and straight up garbage overwhelmed his senses. Of course, only Truth would think of making his first stop at this new dimension a garbage can. Probably thought it was amusing to see his reaction.

"Well, guess what?" Ed snapped, talking to himself and unaware if any stranger saw him, they'd think he was out of his mind and most probably take him to a mental hospital. "I'm not going to play your games this time! Ha!" He shouted furiously with a hint of triumph, knowing that the Truth was listening from the damned Gate and he was not talking to himself.

Nope, definitely not.

With ease, the vertically-challenged boy leapt out of the trashcan - and once he did, a proud look momentarily passed his features, but the look quickly faded once the stench overwhelmed him again. "This place reeks!" Ed glared at the air in front of him, before raising his flesh arm to smell it tenatively.

It smelled like spoiled milk.

Swallowing back the vomit that threatened to spill out of his mouth, Ed quickly made his way out the dump, and what he saw once he was out of the alley widened his eyes considerably.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. Not even the Central looked as advanced and modern as what he was seeing in front of him - and for a few moments, he forgot how to breathe, completely taken aback and amazed by the sight laying in front of him.

Tall buildings were everywhere, and colourful lights (he didn't really see the use of them, it was morning and the sun was shining perfectly!) with varying sizes and shapes could be seen everywhere he looked. Automobiles much more advanced than the ones he'd ever seen were passing on the streets much faster than what they had back in Amestris, and there were numerous people on the sidewalks, each busy with their own business, but Ed could only estimate if the streets had this much people, he momentarily wondered the estimation of the population. Music blared from small shops that lined up the streets, though sometimes it was faded over the sound of honking automobiles and the chatter of the people.

The sight was something he'd never seen - and never thought he'd be able to see.

_'What the hell is this place?'_ He wondered, astonished at the sight. "Al! You won't believe what - " Ed immediately stopped in the middle of his sentence once he remembered that Al wasn't here with him. His shoulders slumped and his previously awed eyes turned somber at the thought of his brother, who he knew would be much more excited than he was to see the sight laying in front of him.

True, the Truth had given him its word that Al would get his body back, but it was for a price much valuable than his alchemy.

His existence.

* * *

_"You amuse me, Mr. Al-che-mist," Truth grinned widely at Ed. "Did you really think you'd be the one to set up the price?"_

_"What do you want, Truth?" Ed gritted his teeth as he stared at the white being with a glare that could kill. But obviously, since glares couldn't kill and Truth was - well, Ed didn't know if it could even be killed._

_There was a tense moment before the being answered his question._

_"I will give your brother his body back - but," he paused, his grin only widening and Ed suddenly had a sinking feeling in his stomach that the price was going to be much worse than what he intended to bargain for. "You, Mr. Al-che-mist, will have to leave," He sang._

_"Leave? What do you mean?!"_

_"Well, you see Mr. Al-che-mist, the people here - they don't need you anymore," Truth shrugged, and Ed's eyes widened. "And if you want him," it jabbed a finger at Al, "To ever get his body back, this is the only exchange I'll take." Its grinned only turned more predatory._

_"Just tell me, you bastard!"_

_"You're going to pack your bags, Mr. Al-che-mist," It said. "Because I'm sending you over to where no one will ever find you. Oh, don't give me that look, Mr. Al-che-mist. I'll give him his body back."_

_Ed thought of Al, finally being able to live without his suit of armor, in the body where he belonged. He thought of Al doing all the things he wasn't able to with his armor - Al getting married, eating, having kids - If this was the price he had to pay for all of that to happen..._

_Then so be it._

* * *

_'Are you happy, Al?'_ Ed thought, looking up and gazing at the cloudless blue sky longingly. _'Fuck what that damned Truth bastard said. I'll find a way to get back to you, Winry, and hell, even Colonel Bastard! There has to be a way, I know there is.'_

But until then, he supposed he needed to find a place to stay, and find out more about this place in order to fit in. Now, where could he learn about this world's currency...

* * *

**A/N: And here's the prologue! I know it's super short and stuff, but I really hope you guys liked it so far. I've had this idea for a week now and I decided it is, finally, time to act on it. This story's going to be pretty slow-paced and chill, so it might take a while until Ed becomes a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Currently I have little plans about making him an Avenger, but we'll see if that changes in the future.**

**Romance-wise, I'm going to stick to canon as much as I can, so Tony x Pepper, and Nat x Bucky once we get to TWS. Ed's going to be involved in some important events in the Marvel world, and I'm already planning his involvement in some huge events like the Civil War, his part in the soon-to-be Age Of Ultron, etc. I have a lot of ideas for this story, and I'm super excited now that I've started writing it! **

**Last thing, my writing isn't really the 'purple prose' kind of thing, and I'm trying to show instead of tell, but my writing style... I'm very simple and cut to the chase when it comes to writing, I don't beat around the bush. I'll try to be as wordy as possible, but I'm more readability over prose beauty. So. Yeah.**

**Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or the Marvel CMU. Read the notes at the end of the chapter for important news.**

"Sir? Excuse me?" Frantically, Ed flailed his arms in front of the sitting businessman, but unfortunately for him, the older was too entrailed reading his newspaper to even notice the blonde haired, golden-eyed teen standing in front of him. The newspaper's front page was filled with pictures of a suit of iron with the colours of golden and red, and really, it was magnificent, but in the short time he'd been there (only a few hours!), Ed came to accept the fact the technology was way more advanced than what he had back home. Maybe the suit of iron in the front page wasn't possible to create in Amestris, but apparently, it was possible here. The contraptions he'd seen earlier proved this world, wherever it was, had technology more advanced than whatever he'd ever experienced before.

Besides, there was something stranger than the suit of iron, and it was the text.

No matter how much he squinted and wracked his mind for words, Ed couldn't seem to understand anything written in the newspaper. Or anything written he'd seen so far, really. The neon signs hanging on washed down buildings he'd passed made no sense; the alphabet was the same as the one he used, but the words made zero sense. It was frustrating, to say the least.

After a few more minutes of trying (and failing) to catch the man's attention, Ed sighed dejectedly and looked around the crowded park to find someone who could possibly help him. There were a lot of people around - kids, teenagers, adults, and elders alike - but they were busy with their own business. It vaguely reminded him of a more modernized, and more individualized Central.

"Damn it," Ed muttered, kicking a stray can in front of him. "This is all your fault, Truth bastard. I'm alone, and I don't even know what the hell these people are saying!" He said the last part through gritted teeth, feeling more frustrated with every word spoken.

Plomping down next to the businessman, Ed tried to sneakily peek at what the man was reading. He scowled, seeing more words he didn't understand, and accidentally cursed.

Crap.

The businessman noticed the stranger peeking over his shoulder and tilted his head to look at Ed piercingly, and the latter chuckled nervously, hastily distancing himself from the man and making a peace sign with his non-automail arm. "S-Sorry! Nice paper you got there, right?" He laughed nervously, and the man scowled.

"Damned foreigners, peeking into people's business," The older man with whitened hair said something - and Ed didn't understand it - but it sounded foul.

"I said sorry!" Ed glared, although since the older man couldn't understand him, it was no use really.

"Brats," The businessman snorted before returning to reading his newspaper, leaving a flabbergasted Ed, because although he didn't understand what that meant, he got the feeling it wasn't something good.

This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

A lot more difficult than he thought.

Even at night, the sounds of automobiles and human activity never seemed to slow down in New York - Ed had learned the name after asking where he was to some guy using body language - and if possible, things just got even busier. 'This place is a city that never sleeps,' Ed snorted mentally, putting his hands in his pockets, his eyes looking around the streets.

His walk came to a stop as he felt his feet almost stepping on something - his gaze traveled down, and his eyes widened when he saw it was a book - in pretty good condition, even. Curious, he bent down to pick it up, and tenatively opened the first page. A letter almost fell from the book, if it hadn't been for Ed's instincts that caught it before it could hit the ground.

Ed's breath caught at his throat when he saw the written language - it wasn't that gibbersih he'd seen, it was Amestrian! Eyes darting, he wondered frantically if there was someone who knew his language around, or maybe (even though this thought seemed very farfetched) even someone from his world who had more experience here than he did, and would maybe be able to help him.

Of course, the latter thought was just wishful thinking - Ed knew Truth well enough to realize this was his price, and his alone.

* * *

_Hello, Mr. Al-che-mist!_

_Seeing you trying to fit in with this world has really amused me, ha. But it's getting boring, and seeing you struggle isn't all that new anymore, so here's a dictionary from English (the language here) to Amestrian. Make yourself useful, Mr. Al-che-mist!_

* * *

The writer left no name, though Ed had a perfect idea on who the writer was as his fist clenched the letter. He made a mental note to himself to burn it once he got to a fire later, he didn't need to keep anything sent to him from the gate. However annoyed he was at the letter and the damned bastard's apparent amusement with his suffering, he couldn't help but feel grateful at what Truth had given him. At least now he could understand what everyone was saying.

Striding in a slower pace towards a nearby alley, Ed quickly made a shelter for himself there using his alchemy (it wouldn't do for permanent housing, but he tried to stay positive - he could make some money later, easy!) and after setting up a few traps from the little he had, he made himself comfortable. He smelled horrible, and Ed was perfectly aware he looked like a mess. His look screamed homeless, actually, but he could be worried about that once the time came.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the dictionary, and instead of sleeping and retiring for the night, he made sure to read and learn as many words as he could. Resting could wait - first, he had to survive.

* * *

Sunlight leaked through Ed's little makeshift shelter, causing the young alchemist to grumble as he felt the glare of the sun. The light accentuated his exhausted features. Even someone with horrible eyesight could notice the dark circles under his eyes, and if one looked closely, they could notice the teen struggling to stay awake - and Ed was staying awake, but only barely.

He'd been able to learn and memorize more words than he tried to count, but every word Ed learned were the essentials. Now, Ed had hope he could survive yet (grudgingly thanks to Truth, not that he'd ever admit it. Yeah, right - over his dead body!)

"Alright!" Ed grinned, placing the pocket dictionary and standing up, stretching as he did. "Let's test all these words," He said to himself with a smile. Ed thought about it like this - the more words he understood, the closer he was to getting back to Amestris.

"I'll be back home soon... Al."

New York in the morning was a rush, to say the least - everyone was getting to their workplaces, and those who weren't, well, they still loitered on the streets doing their own things. Edward Elric blended in well enough in the crowd of the morning rush, though he idly noticed everyone around him were covering their noses. Huh.

"Take a shower, man!" Pointed out someone quite rudely, and Ed, having an 'okay' grasp of the language now, turned to glare at the one who pointed it out. Before he could retort, however, the guy was gone as quickly as he was there.

Or maybe Ed just lost track of him in the crowd.

Soon arriving at the park he was at yesterday, Ed took a seat on one of the benches, patting his stomach as he did. Dang. His stomach hurt, and while studying earlier, he swore he heard his stomach grumble more than a couple times. He was starving, but he didn't know how he could get any food - he had no money, after all.

"I wish I could fix this," He heard a soft voice, undoubtedly female. While he couldn't perfectly understand what was being said, he understood well enough - he could finally do something!

Enthusiastically, he looked around for the source of the voice - and after finding the person, he walked over to her - a brunette girl who looked around fifteen - and gave her his best smile. "You need fix?" He said in broken english, gesturing at the ripped bag she clutched protectively.

"W-What?" She blinked, before comprehending what he said. "Oh! Yeah, I do. My bag. Do you know where I could get it fixed?" After struggling to understand what she said (she talked so fast!), Ed chuckled and nodded.

"I fix," He pointed at himself proudly, and the girl raised a skeptical eyebrow, but handed the bag over to him anyway. "Eyes," He made a gesture at closing her eyes, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Surprise."

"O-Oh? Okay," She said, somewhat hesitantly, and closed her eyes. Ed grinned, before using his alchemy to quickly reconstruct the bag. "Open."

The girl opened her eyes, and she gasped after seeing her bag was completely fixed - as if it was brand new! "How did you do that?!" She exclaimed, and Ed made a 'shh' motion with his lips.

"Secret."

"Oh, wow... I've got to head to school, but thank you so much! I hope this is enough," She smiled and reached into her pocket, handing him around 5 dollars, before she got up and left the park.

Ed stared at the paper money shoved in his hand incredulously. Was this the money in New York...? Well, only one way to find out.

Six more fixed items and one hotdog later, Edward Elric was feeling quite proud of himself - and it was perfectly reasonable, of course. Not only had he gained some money, he also learnt a lot of important information! If he kept learning at this rate, Ed was confident he could get home in no time.

"Do you have a repair shop, young man?" The elder he'd been fixing his cane for asked, and Ed blinked at the unfamiliar words.

"Repair shop..?" He asked, and the elder went on to explain what it was. After hearing that, Ed's eyes widened. A repair shop! Perfect! "Thank you!" Ed smiled as he bowed at the surprised elder, and after getting his payment, quickly rushed back to his shelter. A shop! Perfect! The only problem was, how could he make a shop? He didn't know where to make one, and Ed wasn't an idiot; he knew the amount of money he had probably wouldn't be enough to buy, or rent some land.

Another idea came to his head (he definitely wasn't short of ideas today).

Gold.

Ed was sure there weren't any laws on gold transmutation in New York - hell, he was pretty sure he was the only alchemist around (although he couldn't be completely sure yet, but everything he'd seen so far lead up to that) - so maybe he could be a gold dealer. Only temporarily, though. Once he got enough money, Ed could ditch gold dealing and make himself a repair shop! What a perfect idea, he showered himself with praises mentally - hell, it was a rare occasion, because most of the times, when he praised himself - Winry would be there to knock a wrench at him.

Now, Ed thought curiously, where would he find a jewelry store..?

* * *

**A/N: Okay so this chapter was mostly about Ed's transition to our world (which was slow at first, but gets faster as time progresses cause /he's Ed/) and I know this was probably pretty boring bUT I have warned the story will be slow-paced. The next update will focus more after Ed's gotten some money for himself, and we see him start... *drumroll* high school. [ insert evil cackle noises ]**

**Thank you so, so much for all the alerts! The reviews were wonderful, and I can't express how happy I am to garner positive attention (so far). You guys are the best. 3**

**Now, onto more important news - I'm starting an update schedule! I'll update this story every Saturday, and if something arises, I'll be sure to include something to let you all know. I've gotten pretty attached to this story so far, and I'm not going to abandon it easily.**

**Have a nice day everyone, and thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the Marvel CMU.**

* * *

More than a week quickly passed as Ed busied himself with fixing items and trying to not stay homeless. He discovered many, _many_ things about the strange land of New York, and Ed had figured out it would be nice to keep a nice journal to write down all the differences between New York and Amestris. Nothing terribly fancy, just some hastily written notes on some used notebook he found somewhere around town.

Needless to say, the notebook filled up speedily.

The golden-eyed youth was now shifting uncomfortably in his seat, looking around at the bar he and a new client of his – for his gold dealing business – had decided on for their meeting place. Okay, so it was more like his client chose the place and he tried to look it up on a map, but it was almost the same thing.

'Sailor's Heart' was the name of the bar, and it was an old thing – the sign that hung outside claimed the place had been serving drinks since the early 1940's, and the architecture, Ed noticed, _was_ pretty old. Or at least, it seemed like it was. Frankly, Ed didn't care – the atmosphere was irritating him quickly – he just wanted to get this over with. The furniture of the place itself wasn't that bad really, the chairs were all old but they were still strong, and though the red paintjob was messily done, it seemed new and he couldn't really say the shade of red didn't fit with the place. The people weren't too loud either, it was just the stench of cigarettes and vomit of a drunken man was bothering him.

"Mr. Elric?" Ed looked up to see a brunette man wearing a tweed suit look at him inquiringly. His client was on the tall side, Ed noted with a twitch of his eyes, and he'd dressed formally for the occasion.

It _almost_ made him feel a twinge of ... something ... for wearing something as simple as a black shirt and slacks, but oh well.

Ed nodded, and the man took a seat in front of him, taking out a cigarette after he did. Ed's nose wrinkled in distaste, and his client didn't even _ask_ him if it was okay to smoke, he just took out his lighter and started smoking in front of Ed! The nerve!

Struggling to keep his temper under control, Ed forced on his best smile and directed it at his client. "Did you bring the money?"

"Yeah, yeah," He reached out into his pocket and took out a thick amount of paper money, handing it over to Ed who checked the validity before nodding, seeming satisfied, to himself. "Where's the gold?" The man asked, rather impatiently.

Edward handed the man over some transmuted gold, and a brief flash of annoyance passed through him as he saw the man look over the gold greedily. It had, at first, shocked him that gold seemed pretty rare here seeing as they had all the latest technology, but Ed now felt relieved because it meant getting clients for his 'gold trading' business much easier than it seemed.

"Pleasure doing business with 'ya," The man grinned lazily, and Ed nodded simply in response. "Name's Alastor, by the way."

"Edward."

"I know, I know," Alastor waved him off easily, a lighthearted chuckle escaping his thin lips. Ed gave him a small, half-hearted smile before quietly gathering his belongings. "So," Alastor said as Ed was struggling to find his briefcase in the dark light of the bar. "What's a kid like you doing, trading gold? Aren't you supposed to be in high school, kid?"

"High school?" Ed raised an eyebrow, though not glancing at the older man, as he kept searching for his items. He never really took the time to wonder about high school. Ed _was_ a prodigy, and he became the youngest state alchemist without even needing to finish his schooling. He wasn't planning on getting some official job here as well, simply opting to making easy money and finding a way to get back home as soon as possible, so the thought of high school and friends and a decent social life just never really plagued his thoughts.

"Yep. Waiiiit a second," Alastor drawled out mischievously. "Don't tell me you're a dropout, eh?"

"I'm not." _I've never even been to high school._

"But, if you don't mind me asking, where _did_ you go to high school? You seem like a smart kid, so maybe one of those high schools with big libraries – " Alastor kept talking, but Ed froze the moment he heard the sentence. Schools? With big libraries? " – 'Course, the libraries are probably nothing compared to what they have in college. Ivy leagues are great places to resource, you know. I have a friend who goes to one, after all! He's told me about this huge library where you can find anything. So then, I told him to find me the best cake recipe in the world, and it was there!"

Faking a laugh, Ed _finally_ found his case and stood up from his seat. "Thanks for the business, have to go," was the only thing he offered before leaving the bar, thoughts of libraries and schools and Ivy Leagues – whatever those were – swimming in his head. Of course, he'd gone to some of the libraries when he was here, but the thought of accessing more information than what he could get his hands on right now was certainly tempting to him. But didn't high school mean records, or something? He didn't know how to fake a record, Ed snorted.

As ridiculous as it sounded, school _did_ seem useful for general knowledge, even though Ed knew he probably wouldn't need it anyway. He could figure out this world easily enough on his own – but the prospect of a library just tempted him too much. Sigh. Sigh. _Sigh_. He wasn't seriously considering this, was he?

After fifteen minutes more of walking, he found himself in front of his apartment building. The whole repairing and gold thing was actually pretty effective when it came to filling his pockets, so Ed was able to find a cheap enough place to live. It came nowhere close to the buildings he'd passed through during his morning explorations, but it was a _lot_ more than his makeshift house he'd gotten during his first few days in the strange land.

Walking up the stairs quietly (it really was late, and his landlord would have a fit and _maybe_ kick him out if he woke up all the other occupants), Ed then opened the door to his apartment gently and turned on the lights as he walked inside.

His apartment was really nothing special, just the bare bones as he hadn't tried to decorate – nope, he had to be frugal – and everything was in one space, except for the bathroom, so it was easy enough for him to flop down on his mattress, letting out a sigh of content as he did. The fluffy sheets always seemed to cheer him up when nothing could!

"Goodnight, Al," Ed mumbled, a small yet genuine smile gracing his features at the thought of his brother. Ed was unaware of any time difference, but if there was none, then he hoped Al was taking good care of himself so far. Although Ed wasn't there for him (yet!), he knew the rest of their friends would somehow, be able to help Al pull through.

He had faith in them, after all.

* * *

"Oh, you've finished filling up the papers?" A woman in her mid thirty's looked up curiously at the stack placed neatly on her desk, before lifting her gaze to give a fake smile at the giver. "I'll just review them in a moment!"

Ed nodded, placing his hands in his pockets. He _really_ couldn't believe he was doing this. Why was he doing this again? Oh, right, because he wanted access to more libraries and seeing as he had no plan in his mind and after a little bit of reserach, it seemed he would _kinda_ need high school a little more than he expected. Damn it. Well, at least the lady hadn't commented anything about his height – okay, did he just insult himself?

"Well, it seems like everything's in order!" Ed was interrupted from his thoughts as the lady gave him another smile. "Welcome to Liberty High School, Mr. Elric. You can start next Monday, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Would you like a tour of the school?"

Seeing as he had no appointments today, Ed warily nodded. Truth be told, he only chose a random high school that was close to his apartment building without doing any reserach beforehand about said school. It just happened that this high school was the first school he'd passed when taking a leisure walk, and they didn't seem to give a real look into students' identity papers, which was the main reason why Ed decided to just jump in. He had the sinking feeling in his gut that he'd regret this decision because Edward Elric having to mingle with other kids his age already sounded like a total disaster, but Ed kept telling himself it was for Al, and everything would be okay. He could just attempt to be the invisible kid in high school.

Although, given Ed's attitude, the task was easier said than done.

Damn it.

"This is the cafeteria, where you'll be eating for lunch," The lady gestured towards a big space filled with tables, chairs, and eating utensils. "You can either bring your own food or you can eat what we provide!" Nah, Ed would take his chances and rather eat his own food. He'd rather not have food poisoning.

The 'tour' continued for another fifteen minutes with them walking around the school, and after that, Ed dismissed himself, deciding he wanted to have his last few days as a school-less teenager to himself. He was going to start next Monday, and since it was already Friday, the weekend and what was left of the day was what remained of his free time (work excluded).

"Watch it, shortie!"

A blur speeded past him as quickly as it came, and Ed felt rage boiling inside him at the mention of his height.

"_WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SHORT EVEN A MICROSCOPE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE HIM, YOU BASTARD?!" _Shouted Ed in Amestrisian, because his English wasn't that advanced for him to know what was the English word for microscope. Or bastard, though he was sure high school would teach him _lots_ of new words.

Fortunately for the speaker, he was long gone, so Ed was left fuming quietly to himself. The one thing he hated the most about New York was most of the people were taller than him, damn it! He knew he was shorter than the average person – even the thought of it made him wince! – but a lot of these people were so tall. It was just like Amestris all over again, Ed thought with a (definitely not) dramatic sigh. Sigh.

* * *

Monday arrived too quickly for the Fullmetal Alchemist, Ed quickly decided, as he slumped his way to school carrying a cheap rucksack filled with worn-out textbooks (he'd taken the liberty of reading ahead, duh!) and a bored look plastered on his face. He hadn't been looking forward to this, at all. In fact, Ed regretted his decision to sign up for high school, but the thought of Al looking disappointed at him was the only thing that kept him from skipping the first day of high school and all the other days that'd come after the first day (meaning he'd never even go to school).

Liberty High School was a high school with students primarily coming from middle-class families, so the facilities weren't all that horrible. The interior was what every other high school had, and as far as Ed was concerned, the school didn't seem to stand out for any awards or accomplishments. It was just a local high school for the locals to send their youths to, nothing more and nothing less.

After getting his locker combination and his schedule, Ed walked with a grumpy frown on his face to his first class. Physics. Well, at least it was something he'd be able to do in his sleep!

Knocking on the door of the classroom, Ed shuffled his feet quietly, looking around the empty halls as he waited for the teacher to open the door. Class had started a while ago, and Ed overslept (wait, was it oversleeping if he did it on purpose?) so the students were probably already learning something in class. Well, he'd catch up easily. Ed wasn't called a prodigy for nothing, after all.

A few moments later, a bald man with a lumpy stomach and eyes that burned with annoyance opened the door not-too gently. His gaze settled on Edward and he raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'what?', and the younger didn't even bother to smile as he gave the teacher a piece of paper.

"Oh, you're the new brat," The teacher snorted. "Fifteen minutes late."

"Yeah, so?" Ed asked. He didn't get along with authority figures and he wasn't going to change that just because he was in unfamiliar territory.

"Kids these days," The bald man muttered darkly. "Well? Come in!"

Rolling his gold eyes, Ed stepped forward inside the classroom, ignoring the curious gazes that immediately landed on him as soon as he was visible to the class. He'd been placed in senior year according to his age, and despite never having learned the materials of the younger years, Ed _had_ read the physics book two days prior and the material was way too easy for him. He didn't even need to pay attention, thought Ed with a mental snort.

"Oh, this is our new student, his name's... What's your name again?"

"Edward Elric."

"Right, right. Take a seat, brat."

"Sure thing, you old geezer," Ed mumbled the last part under his breath, and the teacher didn't hear him. Or maybe he just didn't care, hm. Ed spotted an empty seat in the middle and took it, because even if he didn't really want to be here, he still wanted to be a good student. It was a natural Ed thing to do – he wanted to excel, even if the thought of excelling his classes contradicted to what he'd thought about wanting to be the 'invisible kid' during his year in high school.

" ... Mr. Elric? Do you know the answer?" An annoying, nasally voice interrupted his train of thought, and Ed fixed a glare at the teacher sitting in the front.

Well, if the bastard thought Ed was going to be that kid in class who wouldn't know how to answer the question, _he thought wrong_.

"'Course," Ed said confidently, before stating the answer to the question written in the black board. He felt glee course his veins at the dumbstruck look his teacher got, ha! Take that you bastard!

"Well, then. As I was saying..."

The teacher – Mr. Duval – droned on his lecture about the materials of the class, but Ed couldn't care less. He already knew what was being taught anyway, so why would he?

Frankly, he didn't care about high school, or classes, or the looming thought of making friends.

He just couldn't wait to go back home.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry this is a day late or if this seems rushed! I've been really busy with exams this past week, so, yeah. Ehe. The next chapter will focus more on what's going on in Amestris, cause I haven't given coverage to the ones left behind! I guess I **_**should**_** tell you guys that the plot will really start to get moving after the Manhattan Invasion, but whether that'll still take a while or not, is for me to know and for you to find out.**

**I just want to let you know that there's a chance I might not update next week, because the week after that is a very important week of exams for me to take. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I fail those particular exams I won't be able to graduate... sigh.**

**I hope you liked this (shitty) update! Let me know if you do, and let me know if you don't!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the MCU. **

**Sorry for how long this update took, but I've got most of the story figured out now? I mean like, I actually know what I'm doing now. Which is always a good thing. Enjoy, and thank you to those who are still supporting this story despite the shitty management I've made of it.**

/ / /

For a place recovering from a major attack, Amestris wasn't in a bad condition.

Where a battle involving some of the most powerful alchemists alive and the ruthless being who called itself Father once happened, was now cleaned of all the previous bloodshed it held, and though devoid of much trees or greeneries, it was in great condition. Or, well, as great as it could be anyways.

The hospital stood in its place, not suffering any major damages and still intact to keep the wounded parties and help them stay alive. Bustling with business, the workers rushed from one place to another, some of their buttons untied and coats bellowing with the wind as they swished by from place to place.

Alphonse Elric was in one of the better off rooms in the upper floors, constantly checked and coddled by nurses, despite not having awakened for a few days. Nothing to worry about though, they often assured to the worried parties - the worried parties in question being Winry Rockbell, and (although he'd never admit it) Roy Mustang.

"How is he?"

The question, quiet and inquiring, tumbled out of Winry's lips for the second time that day. Her ponytail was messier than usual, and the dark circles under her eyes were as prominent as they were doing her all-nighters working on automail and other machineries. The nurse offered a pitying look at the blonde, though Winry either didn't care, or she didn't notice. The latter was the more plausible option.

"His heart rate is increasing - " The nurse paused to take a look at her clipboard. "The doctors think he's getting closer to waking up."

Nodding, Winry muttered a quiet thanks before walking towards Al's room. Her eyes, darker and duller than her usual shade of blue because of grief and worry, slowly shone with hope. If - no, _when_ \- Alphonse woke up, she was going to feel less alone. Al wasn't Ed (the reminder of his name tugged worry in her heartstrings, but that was another matter), but Winry could be comfortable in his company - Al was always the nicer, more gentle one between him and Ed, though that wasn't anywhere near being a surprise - and she'd have someone who would understand _why_ she was so worried about the missing Elric.

The missing Elric.

After sacrificing himself to Truth, Ed was just... gone. Nobody had any idea what happened to him. Rumours floated around the country, and while some of them were plausible and possibilities, some of the rumours were just straight up bullshit. Who would actually believe Truth decided to have Ed become his ... _mate?_ Obviously, that one rumour had gone around from some middle-aged housewife, and Winry knew that was far from possible, but just the thought of it made her want to throw up.

Not because it made her jealous, or anything (despite the possibility being slimmer than the smallest number that existed).

She stopped in her tracks after she reached Al's room, raising a hesitant hand to turn the knob and open the door. The door opened with a soft creak, and Winry peered inside, searching for a sign that Al was awake. Her eyes dropped when she saw her childhood friend still curled up in his hospital bed, the machine showing his heart rate only having bare improvements from yesterday. Still, she entered, and took a seat on the chair conveniently placed next to his bed. Without hesitation, she placed her hands on his resting ones, blue eyes shining with worry.

"Oh, Al," She whispered, her eyes dropping once more when she saw how peaceful he looked in his sleep. How _vulnerable_ he looked now. She'd always been hoping for the day he had his body back, but when the day passed, all she felt was worry after seeing him collapse and his brother disappearing to god-knows-where.

Winry sat in silence, eyes trained on Al to see if something, _anything_, would happen. She paid no mind to the ticking clock above the hospital bed, not noticing when the clock struck an hour later. The worry and grief was fresh on her mind, and whenever she visited Al, she'd usually remain until the nurses would have to shoo her out.

Then, something happened.

Al's fingers twitched. It was a small movement, but Winry felt it. Daring to hope, she clung tighter to his hands, hoping for another sign that he was stirring.

One second.

Two second.

Three seconds.

At the fourth count, a shudder intake of breath was heard as Alphonse Elric's golden eyes fluttered awake. It took a few blinks, but as soon as his eyes were wide open and he was only very slightly aware of what was happening, Winry felt a pang of relief flood her body. Al, despite not being in the best condition, was awake.

"Al!" Winry cried, surprised to hear her voice thicker than usual, a lump in her throat, causing her words to come out choked. Her vision was slightly blurred, and a sob racked through her body as the emotions came flooded in. Al was awake. _Al was awake._

"Winry...?" Al's voice came out slurred and heavy with sleep, his eyes still trying to stay focused and aware of the happenings around him. "Winry!" He exclaimed once he'd completely come together, eyes widening when he saw the blonde girl crying.

"You're awake," Winry said, her voice blatantly showing her relief.

"How long...?"

"Six days," Winry responded quietly, and Al's eyes widened. He didn't think he'd be out cold that long. When he glanced downwards, his eyes widened at the sight of his flesh, and he immediately touched them, trying to find out if this was real or if this was a dream. He thought he was dead, done for even. The last thing he remembered was transmuting his own soul, and after that, everything went dark. He was miffed he wasn't even able to recall a conversation with Truth.

"Where's Ed?"

Winry's eyes widened at the question, and Al was expecting something like 'Ed's at the Central' or something of the sort, but when her features darkened and she couldn't answer his question, a growing feeling of dread settled on his stomach. "Where's Ed?" He repeated, this time with a frantic hint in his voice.

"I don't know."

To see Winry sound so defeated only served to make Al's worries even bigger. "What did he do?" Though the question was vague, both of them knew what Al was talking about. _What did Ed do to get me back?_

Winry's voice came out as a mere whisper. "He sacrificed himself."

As if sensing Al's rapidly approaching panic attack, Winry quickly continued her sentence. "But they never found his body, or any sort of remains, really. He just... He disappeared. Everyone's looking for him."

He didn't doubt the last sentence.

"I'm going to find him," Al's voice was filled with steely resolve, and Winry blinked a few moments, before a small smile crossed her face. Al almost sighed in relief when he saw Winry smile, because seeing her so numb and grief-stricken worried him. No matter what, Winry was one of his closest friends. "I'll bring him back here, no matter what it takes. That idiot..."

"Let me help, Al. Please," Winry pleaded, and Al nodded. He knew how much the blonde cared for his brother (he wasn't as dense as his brother, far from it actually), and he was in no place to refuse help.

Ed was always saving Al from dangerous situations, even in situations when Al didn't want to be saved - hell, why did he choose to sacrifice his soul if he wanted Ed to do the exact opposite of staying safe by choosing to _sacrifice _himself as well just to bring Al back? - and this time, Al was going to be the one to save him.

/ / /

"Congratulations on your promotion, Führer Mustang!"

A troop saluted at Roy Mustang, who flicked his trademark smirk at the younger, nodding his head in thanks. A flurry of similar congratulatory words were heard around the hallways as he strolled towards his new office, Riza Hawkeye following behind him loyally, her gun(s) clutched in all the places she could reach in less than a heartbeat, just in case. Crime rates had dropped since the Final Battle against Father (as what some people called it), mostly because the criminals were either dead, or they were still recovering from the attack. Amestris was actually safe for now, though neither Hawkeye nor Mustang wanted to comment anything on it, in fear of ruining the unsteady peace that hung in the air.

While his new rank came with a _lot_ of new quirks and gained him access to even more things than he had before, it also came with the bane of his existence. Paperwork. A pile of new paperwork was sitting innocently on his desk; unaware of the glare the Flame Alchemist was throwing at it. If looks could kill, the pile of paper would be ash by now. Hawkeye stared at him silently, eyes showing her usual stoic glint.

"Have there been any updates about Fullmetal?" Roy asked, sitting down on his seat, very carefully _not_ looking at the paperwork he had yet to finish. Hawkeye shook her head, a small flicker of sadness crossing her features for only a second. She was worried about Ed, but she had a feeling wherever he was, the Elric boy would be able to take care of himself. It didn't stop her from wondering where he was, though. Or whether he was alive or not, because despite knowing Ed would be able to adapt to wherever he was right now, the matter of his existence was a detail most of the world was asking. Was the Fullmetal Alchemist still alive?

"Nothing new," Hawkeye responded in a curt manner, noticing how Mustang's fists clenched in frustration. "No sightings, and they haven't found anything that belongs to Ed other than a small part of his cloak."

"There's got to be _something._" Mustang gritted his teeth, and Hawkeye kept silent.

Crossing his hands and pressing his head against them as he closed his eyes, deep in thought, Mustang was silent as well for a few moments before his eyes snapped open with a new idea. "Conduct a nation-wide search for Edward Elric."

Riza Hawkeye barely blinked. She knew this decision was going to come sooner or later anyway. Mustang wouldn't admit it, but she knew he cared about Edward a lot more than he'd say. If he didn't care as much as he did, she knew he wouldn't have bothered to ask for updates on _Fullmetal_ every few hours or so.

"Yes, Führer," She answered, before turning on her heels to tell them the orders.

While she told the others, Mustang glared at the paperwork as if glaring at it would make it poof away. He'd gotten his dream position, which made him feel a swell of pride every time he was called Führer Mustang instead of Colonel Mustang, but the odd disappearance of Edward Elric and the load of paperwork he had to do were constant mood downers (especially the former). The only thing keeping him going was hope, but hope was like a fire - it could only light and flicker for so long before fading out of existence.

/ / /

**A/N : How was it? I hope you guys enjoyed it! Leave a review, maybe?**

**I'm going on this camping trip and uGH I AM SO NOT EXCITED. I regret being a leader. Seriously. If I wasn't leader I'd skip out on the camping thing.**

**Sorry for grammar mistakes / OOCness / whatever! I wrote this after 6PM, after a very exhausting school day and I haven't read this through again, I'm sure you were probably waiting for an update, aha.**


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